solar sail flyby

I've taken some liberties with the lighting and nearby objects to make the scene more visually interesting...

This shows a solar sail craft, powered by the pressure of sunlight, flying past the camera.

Everything rendered in Lightwave 3d as usual.

The concept of a solar sail is not new - J.D. Bernal wrote in 1929, "A form of space sailing might be developed which used the repulsive effect of the sun's rays instead of wind. A space vessel spreading its large, metallic wings, acres in extent, to the full, might be blown to the limit of Neptune's orbit. Then, to increase its speed, it would tack, close-hauled, down the gravitational field, spreading full sail again as it rushed past the sun."